The Mercenary Returns
by PrimusPrime
Summary: Jack ran away from home when he was six, after returning at the age of fifteen, he kept that part of his life secret out of shame and regret, but when a friend turned enemy returns and jacks secret life is revealed, how will everyone react? Find out now!
1. Chapter 1

**The Mercenary Returns Chapter 1**

**Two Years ago.**

Two people battled onto of an active volcano, the explosion caused by the crashing plane triggered it and it was about to blow but the two

mercenaries didn't care, all they cared about was ending the other.

"WHY DID YOU BETRAYED US? WE WERE YOUR FRIENDS!" jack shouted as his axe clashed against the enemies sword.

"You took Ayla away form me, she was mine." Kooro said "her death is your fault!"

"MY FAULT?! MY FAULT?! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Jack screamed increasing the rate of his slashes "WHO DRAGED US TO THE TEMPLE OF THE

GOLDEN IDOL?! WHO DIDN'T WARN US ABOUT THE DANGERS?! WHO STOLE THE TREASURE AND ABANDONED US WHEN WE NEEDED HIM?!

YOU! YOU! YOU!" Jack screamed at the top of his lungs as the two broke away. "I tired desperatly to save Ayla but I wasn't strong enough to get

her out the trap required two people and you left us, so how is her death my fault?" Jack asked coldly

"If you hadn't taken her from me she would still be alive." Kooro stated

"She was never yours." Jack said chucking throwing stars at him which he easily avoided.

"If you say so but after I kill you, well, the entire world will blame you." Kooro said

"How? we don't exist, the only ones who know about us know us as the "Hidden Lotus" and no one has ever seen our faces." Jack sneered

"correct, I guess that I'll just have to keep your memory alive. by cursing you everyday of my life." Kooro sneered back charging at jack but jack

had seen this coming. and jumped out of the way, normally it wouldn't have helped but what kooro didn't know was that he had just landed in a

trap. the ground where he landed was covered in oil and he slipped and fell the oil went over the cliff and Kooro would have plummeted into the

volcano if it weren't for is sword which he stabbed into the ground.

"Oil? really I taught you that trick." Kooro said

"Yep ironic isn't it?" Jack said as he pressed a button. and the ledge kooro was on exploded, sending him plummeting down into the lava below.

"It's over" Jack said "It's finally over time to head home."

**Darby residents**

nine years, it had been nine years since John had died and jack had run away, she didn't blame him the loss of his father was harder on him than

she had thought. she still kept the light on hoping that he would return as the note he wrote said. but so far he hadn't she was almost starting to

consider suicide. the search had been called off six years saying that since jack hadn't been seen in three years that he was never coming back so

with that final thought she picked up a knife. "John jack I'll be seeing you soon." she said just as there was a knock on her door. She decided to

answer it and it was than that she almost had a heart attack because standing out on the porch was her son a beaten, cold and shaking Jackson

Jonathan Darby. "Jack is that really you.?" June asked shaking

"Its me mom and I'm sorr-" jack was cut off by june slapping him across the face.

"Young man you are in so much trouble!" June said with venom in her voice but that ended when she pulled jack into a hug sobbing

uncontrollably, "I thought you were dead."

"I'm alive mom. I'm home." Jack said breaking down into tears aw well. "Come on lets go inside and get out of the cold."

June refused to let go of jack as if she thought that if her hand left his than he would disappear like all the other dreams she'd had. when they

entered the house jack saw just how big an impact leaving had on his mom, the house was a pigsty, trash littered the floor, the the furniture was

covered in stains and empty bottles of alcohol littered the floor seeing this caused jack to break down into tears again and hug his mom repeatedly

sobbing out "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." over and over again. regaining his composure jack said "come on lets get you to bed, I'll do the house work for a

while, you just rest you look like you haven't gotten a good nights sleep in years."

"I haven't." June answered, when jack got to her room he say the the bed looked like it hadn't been slept in, in years. "I've been sleeping in your

room but I'll just change the sheets and than you can sleep in your room again." June said shaking

"No mom, I'll change the sheets on your bed and I'll sleep in here, and I don't want to hear another word on the subject." Jack said firmly

"alright." June said looking downcast. when jack got her tucked in and was about to leave she said. "Jack, wait don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere mom, would you like me to sleep with you tonight?" Jack asked concerned to which june quickly nodded. "alright."

Jack said and thats how they spent the night.

For the nest few days jack did all the cleaning and cooking despite his moms protests, june refused to let jack out of her sight, except when he

was in the bathroom of coarse they both knew that they had to move, the money that jacks father had left behind had covered the expenses but

they had to find a smeller house and jack suggested a small town called Jasper Nevada to which june agreed and jack agreed to get a job there to

help his mom pay the bills, so in three weeks they packed up there belongings, and moved to the Jasper located right in the middle of nowhere.

june by this time was letting jack out of her sight as he had given his word that he would never run away again. A year passed without incident

until jack hopped on a beautiful blue and pick motorcycle and got involved in a war older than the human race. at first he tried to get out of it but

he realized that after all the missions he'd been on in his hidden Lotus days he couldn't live a normal life, but still he never told anyone but his

mother what he'd been doing for the past nine years, she hadn't approved but she was proud that he never excepted jobs that involved killing, he

didn't have the heart to tell her about Kooro but he didn't think he had to worry about him.

"Hey jack is something wrong?" Arcee asked snapping jack out of his thoughts.

"no nothings wrong arcee just thinking thats all, ten years ago today I ran away from home, and only returned one year ago." Jack said

"Why would you run away?" Arcee asked concerned

"i just couldn't deal with what happened when dad died." Jack said.

"What did you do?" arcee asked

"Sorry Cee but I don't want to talk about that." Jack said

"Ok jack but just remember if you ever do want to talk about it I'm here." Arcee assured him

"Thanks partner and arcee." Jack asked

"Yes jack." Arcee answered.

"Can you not tell the others that I ran away from home its just something that I'd like to keep secret." Jack explained

"alright jack you can count on me." arcee said. earning her a big smile from jack.

They arrived at the base soon after and they walked in on Fowler briefing Optimus on a situation. "...At first we thought it was mech or the cons

steeling our equipment and data, that is until we captured this video." Fowler said showing everyone a video of someone in a mask steeling data

from a terminal, to everyone but jack it was just a thief but to jack there was something familiar about that man, to familiar.

"it can't be." Jack said under his breath, as fowler continued.

"look on the crooks right shoulder, as you can see its a lotus hidden by a small branch with three leaves, thats the sign of the the Hidden Lotus,

they were a group of mercenaries that showed up out of nowhere ten years ago and disappeared one year ago but I always thought it was

strange."

"What was strange Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked

"They never excepted jobs that involved killing a target, they only took jobs to bring in criminals or retrieve treasure from temples, they never

killed until one of them betrayed the other two and killed one of them for treasure the other spent four years hunting him and finally found him,

killed him by dropping him into a volcano. we managed to retrieve this video from the black box of the planes they stole." the recording was

covered in static and was blurry so on one could identify who they were much to jacks relief.

"If you hadn't taken her from me she would still be alive." one stated

"She was never yours."the other said said chucking throwing stars at him which he easily avoided.

"If you say so but after I kill you, well, the entire world will blame you." the first said

"How? we don't exist, the only ones who know about us know us as the "Hidden Lotus" and no one has ever seen our faces." the second sneered

"correct, I guess that I'll just have to keep your memory alive. by cursing you everyday of my life." the other sneered back charging at the one

with the axe but it seemed that he had seen this coming. and jumped out of the way, normally it wouldn't have helped but what the one with

the sword didn't know was that he had just landed in a trap. the ground where he landed was covered in oil and he slipped and fell the oil went

over the cliff and he would have plummeted into the volcano if it weren't for is sword which he stabbed into the ground.

"Oil? really I taught you that trick." he said

"Yep ironic isn't it?" the one with the axe said as he pressed a button. and the ledge one with the sword was on exploded, sending him

plummeting down into the lava below screaming. with that the one with the axe sat down for a few seconds and then said "It's over, Its finally

over. Time to go home." The video cut off there.

"Wow they had some moves where did they come from?" Miko asked

"No one knows, their faces were never known, after this video was shot the last surviving member of the Hidden Lotus handed over his axe to us

for safe keeping and said he was done, and just left. no one had seen or heard from him until now." Fowler said

"I don't think the one who stole all the data was the one with the axe, he moved like the one with the sword." Arcee said "Did they have

codenamed?"

"Yes the one with the sword was just called mist, the girl was called moon, and the one with the axe was called shadow." Fowler answered as the

monitors lit up with everything that the government had on them, the sword was mist's weapon of voice, he called it "Soul Solid" Moon used

throwing stars, and Shadow as you saw used an axe which he called "The Warlock Axe" why? we don't know all we do know is that now one is

back and it's a serious problem but I know this, he wanted us to see him this time." Fowler said

"Why do you say that Fowler?" Bulk asked

"Because two ton, these guys could break into the most secure building without being seen, or heard, compared to that the place a brain dead

monkey could have broken into that place without being seen so he wants something but the question is what? when we find out we will contact

you, the General thinks you bots are the only ones besides shadow who could stop him and since we can't find shadow..." Fowler trailed off

"alright agent fowler keep us informed."Optimus said.

arcee turned to asked jack what he thought about that when she realized that he was gone. "where did jack go?" she asked

"Up top I think." Miko said he had a really serious look on his face during the talk and I think I heard him say 'it can't be' under his breath, and

than he just snuck out."

"Thats weird." Bulk said "Think jack knows something about this?"

"Maybe, he was acting strange today." Arcee said "I'll go talk to him." she said

when she got to the roof, she saw jack curled in a ball shaking. "Jack are you ok?" arcee asked concerned

"no cee i'm not" jack said his voice full of terror, "he's alive."

"Who?" arcee asked confused.

"Mist, or as I know him, Kooro." Jack said

"wait are you saying that you know mist?" Arcee said

"Yep we were both members of the Hidden Lotus, I was shadow." Jack said

"Thats funny jack but really whats wrong?" arcee said thinking jack was joking

"THIS ISN'T A JOKE ARCEE THIS IS SERIOUS!" Jack yelled

seeing the look in his eyes arcee realized that jack was telling the truth and said "alright jack but according to the video mist fell into an active

volcano, how did he survive?"

"I don't know but I do know this, if he finds me he will kill everyone I care about. the autobots can't stop him, only a Hidden Lotus can defeat a

Hidden Lotus"

"We should tell the others." arcee said

"your right but not now ok? I need to find the right time to tell them." Jack said

"Jack I don't think-" arcee began.

"Please arcee I will tell them just not now ok I need to sort this out." Jack pleaded.

"Ok jack but you had better tell them soon." arcee said sighing

"I will and Cee?"Jack said

"Yes Jack?" Arcee answered

"Thanks." jack said

"Anytime partner." arcee said "Now come one lets get you home."

Unknown to them the autobots saw their entire conversation and were trying to process all that they had heard.

**Unknown Location**

Finally after a year of searching he had the data he needed, it took him no time at all the hack the so called firewalls" surrounding the data he had

stolen and he came across what he had been looking for.

"Finally I found you shadow, now you will pay for what you did to me." Mist said as he slashed the screen with jacks face on it with his sword

cutting it in two.

**Chapter 1 re-uploaded, next comes chapter 2**

**Until we meet again **

**PrimusPrime Out**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chapter just like I promised, sorry for those of you who voted who wanted me to write something else, but don't **

**worry, those other ideas will be written eventually. So here is chapter 2 of The Mercenary Returns.**

**Chapter 2**

The base was silent everyone was trying to process what had just been said. Miko was the first one to break the silence

"Wow, jack is suck a kidder I mean really, him? Shadow? Yea and I'm Goku." She laughed

"Miko Jack wasn't joking." June said. "He told me of his adventures, but he never said that he tried to kill Kooro."

"Where did jack learn to fight like that?" Fowler asked.

"I don't know that was something else he never told me. I wonder what else is he keeping from me." june said sadly.

"What I don't understand is why." Raph said.

"What do you mean raph?" Miko asked

"I mean Why did jack become a mercenary? what happened." Raph asked

"His father died, thats what happened." June said. "It was hard, maybe jack became a mercenary because he felt responsible for his fathers

death, so he thought the best way to get back was to find the murderer, so that might be the reason. Johns murderer was found just before

jack came home."

Just than Jack and Arcee reappeared.

"What?" Jack asked

"You've got some explaining to do jack or should we call you Shadow?" Miko said angrily

"What? Miko are you feeling ok?" Jack said nervously.

"We saw your entire conversation on the top of the silo." Bulkhead said. "we know."

"how could you not tell us jack I thought that we were friends?" Miko said

"Are you telling me you don't have any secrets Miko?" Jack said

"Well yea everyone has secrets." Miko said

"You just rendered your argument invalid." Jack said

Before Miko said anything else Fowler said "So 'Shadow' can you confirm that the one on the video is indeed Mist? Or could it be an impostor?"

"Its Mist alright." Jack said angrily.

"One thing whats with the weird codenamed?" Bulk asked.

"Kooro was called Mist because you can't catch mist. Moon for her beauty and grace in battle." Jack said

"And Shadow?" Raph asked

"Because I got all our intel by watching from the shadows." Jack said.

"Well jack you've dealt with mist before how much trouble are we in?" arcee asked

"How much trouble are we in? On a scale of 1 to 10?" Jack said "11, now he probably knows that I live in Jasper, but not my friends, which means ."

"What is that?" Fowler asked,

"Simple, I find Mist and kill him, its the only way to end this insanity." Jack said

"Jack your not a killer, you don't have to do this." Optimus said

"Optimus its not that I have to its that I want to." Jack said

"Jack you can't mean that." Arcee said

"I'm dead serious Arcee, Mist will die for what he did." Jack said angrily. "He will pay!"

"what exactly did he do jack, from agent fowler told us, he was one of your best friends?" Raph asked

jack sighed and said. "it was supposed to be a simple mission, recover a golden idol from a deadly temple," June gasped.

"We got it easily and were on our way out, by this time Ayla and I were in a relationship." jack said

"you mean?" Miko said.

"Yep, Ayla was a real spit-fire, I couldn't get away with nothin with her." Jack said happily. "anyway, on the way out Kooro intentionally tripped a

trap, it was meant for me, but Ayla pushed me out of the way I demanded why he did that and he said that I took Ayla from him, that if he

couldn't haver her than no one could, he than stole the idol and left, I tried desperately to save Ayla but I wasn't strong enough, I had watch as

the women I loved was crushed by a ceiling covered in spikes, when it rose up she was impaled on them, smiling because she said that if she

sided in my arms she was happy, after that I got real low, I spent years hunting Kooro down and I found him, we battled on an active volanco, I

thought I killed him by dropping him in it but he survived, and the only way for any of you to be safe is for me to kill him."

"Wow, I never realized, just how herd your life was." Arcee said.

"Yeah, well now you do, Fowler, I need my axe back." Jack said.

"No dice kid, I can't get it, and you won't either." Fowler said

"You think I can't, you forget I am shadow if I wanted to I could take you down in less than 5 seconds." Jack said

"That I'd like to se-" Fowler started to say but never finished because before anyone could blink he was pinned under jack

"That was me holding back, way back." Jack said "Kooro won't hold back though, so just tell me where my axe is."

He thought that he had won until arcee picked him up and locked him inside an empty energon cube. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! LET! ME! OUT!"

Jack screamed banging on the side.

"Sorry partner but it was your moms idea." arcee said

"Jack I lost your father, and thought I lost you for nine years, but then you came back, and I swore that you would never do anything like that

again, you are not going after Kooro, and until you accept that you are staying in there." June said.

"You really expect this pathetic thing yo hold me mom?" Jack said calmly, "I don't want to leave either but if I don't Kooro will find you and kill

you because you are my family."

"sorry jack but you are staying there." June said "arcee will you keep an eye on jack?"

"Of course." Arcee said

"and until he comes to his senses about going after Kooro, he is to be watched at all times." June said

"very well june." Optimus said.

**That night**

It was bulkheads turn to guard him and he had fallen asleep, and jack knew it was time to act. lightly tapping the sides he found the weakest

point, than using the one of the techniques he had learned from his master he stuck out him index finger, slammed it into the side and the side

disintegrated. acting quickly he punched in random coordinates into the groundbridge and jumped through just as the rest of the autobots came

rushing in. they saw jack enter the portal and then he was gone.

"BULKHEAD!" arcee said "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON WATCH WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"I-I-I- I fell asleep, I haven't had a recharge in days." Bulk said

"we must locate jack before he gets hurt, or worse trying to find Kooro." Optimus said

**Meanwhile**

"told the they couldn't hurt me now just got to grab my stuff from the house and then iI'll try to find my axe." jack said and so he took off for

home, not knowing that someone was following him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well here is chapter 3 of The Mercenary Returns, battles, weapons, The power of Jack's **

**axe are revealed, will jack defeat Kooro, or will Kooro kill jack? Find out.**

**Chapter 3**

"There, thats everything that was hidden in the house." Jack whispered, as he finished putting

everything he would need in his pack. "Now just one thing left to do." Jack grabbed a pencil and

paper and wrote his mom a note.

"Dear Mom,

I'm sorry but I can't leave Kooro's capture in the hands of the military, because they will

fail. I know you think that I can't handle this but you don't need to worry, I'll be fine, I'v handled

worse than this before. I'll come home as soon as I wrap up this final chapter of my old life, Oh, and

tell the bots I'm sorry for hacking their computers, but I noes know where my axe is hidden, and

I'm on my way to find it. Be home soon.

Love, your son Jack."

"Ok, now its time to head put, who would have thought that my axe would be hidden in a

warehouse?" Jack said

(In case you are wondering, think of the warehouse in Indiana Jones)

**Hanger 51**

"Man, this is going to take forever." Jack groaned "This place is huge. Wait! The axe has a tracking

device on it! I can use that to find it." With that Jack pulled out a small box, pressed the on button,

and went searching for his axe. It took no time at all to find the pile, but it was another to move all

the crates, which he did very carefully, but hie work paid off and soon he had the Warlock Axe back

in his possession.

"You know, it took five incredibly strong personnel three hours to lift it and set it in it's crate. But

you can lift it with one hand. Very impressive." A voice behind jack said Whipping around jack saw

that it was agent fowler.

"Stay out of this Fowler, this doesn't concern you." Jack said.

"Stopping someone from steeling government property is my concern, especially if I know that

someone." Fowler said.

"I'm not steeling anything, I'm simply reclaiming whats mine." Jack said Brandishing the axe. "You

would be well advised to stay out of my way, and tell your friends to come out, I knew they were

with you the second you started talking."

"Well, you've got some keen senses, alright boys come on out." Fowler sighed as ten armed men

came out from behind crates. "Don't worry, they only have tranquilizers."

"I'm not worried, they are no match for me anyway." Jack said calmly.

"I know you'll fight us kid, but I don't think you'll fight her." fowler said and from behind him

stepped the one person jack couldn't fight, his mom.

"Mom?! What are you doing here?!" Jack said

"Stopping my son of coarse." June said. "What were you thinking, you think your note would make

me stop worrying, we called fowler as soon as you left the base and he set this up now plase jack

come home, Kooro isn't your concern."

"Not my concern?! NOT MY CONCERN?! HE IS MY CONCERN MOM, BECAUSE UNTIL ONE OF US IS

DEAD, THE OTHER WON'T STOP WHICH MEANS THAT HE WON'T STOP ATTACKING ME AND

EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT!" Jack yelled

"Jack we can place your mother under our care unit lee catch Kooro, you don't have to do this."

Fowler said

"You overestimate yourself fowler and the power of the army." Jack laughed. "If I wanted to, I could

take down an at least five battalions in less than an hour, you think that you can catch Kooro? Well

you can't so forget about convincing me to stand down. you want to stop me? than you'll have to kill

me. And better shots than you have tired." With that jack whipped out a smoke bomb set it off and

escaped through a window. Before anyone knew what was happening, he was gone.

"June I'm sorry that didn't go as planned but that was the only shot the generals gave us, now I've

been ordered to do it their way." Fowler said.

"AND WHAT WAY IS THAT HUH? HUNT MY SON LIKE AN ANIMAL AND KILL HIM?!" June yelled.

"No just track him down and bring him in." Fowler said. "orders o not, I'll make sure no one kills

jack."

**Later**

That was actually close." Jack sighed. "I've gotten rusty, I didn't even know fowler was there until

he started talking, and do they really think that I will just give up and go home? No! Kooro is mine

and only mine."

"Well, well, well what have we here? It appears that one of the autobot pets has lost it's way, how

sad." said an amused voice behind jack.

"Beat it starscream." Jack demanded. "I don't have time to play with you today. Can't you see I've

got somewhere to be?"

"You dare speak to me with such insolence? You will pay human." starscream hissed showing his

claws.

"Yes I dare now put you claws away before you lose them." Jack said taking out his axe.

"you honestly believe that your tiny little blade can hurt me? Well? go on then." Starscream laughed

lowering his face to jacks level. "Take your best shot, right here."

"Fine." Jack smiled slashing his axe which cut through Starscream's face plate like butter.

"SCRAP THAT HURT! WHAT IS THAT THING MADE OF?!" Starscream screamed in pain clutching his

face.

"I don't know, but I do know that this axe has been sharpened by lasers to an edge no thicker than

a molecule, so it can pretty much cut through anything. Apparently that included Cybertronian

armor." Jack sneered. "Now leave before I sever your head from your pathetic body." Jack growled.

"You will pay but a tactical retreat is in order." Starscream said slinking away.

"Idiot." Jack said putting his axe back on his back and continuing on his way, all the while he was

being followed.

"huh? where did he go?" The girl said.

"So you finally speak." Jack said raising his axe to her throat "So tell me why have you followed

me?"

"Cut the tough guy act jack." she said.

"Miko?! what are you doing here?!" Jack groaned.

"Duh, I followed you to watch you beat the snot out of that Mist guy!" Miko said excitedly.

"No miko, you are going home. NOW!" Jack said. "It'll be dangerous enough without having to worry

about you."

"Hey, I can take care of my self." Miko said

"No you can't all you will be doing is getting in the way, and you'll get yourself killed." Jack said.

"Oh come on what the worse that could happen? With the two of us, nothing could possibly go

wrong!" Miko said.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you "Miko" not to say "Nothing could possibly go wrong" because every

time you do..." Said a voice behind them

"Something always goes wrong." Jack said turning around to face the voice and to his horror, it was

Kooro.

"Exactly, well said Shadow." Kooro said jumping down and strolling over to them. "I used to say

that as well, I also said "Things can't get any worse" as well and then things always got worse. Well

Shadow, I see you found a suitable replacement girl for Ayla."

"What are you talking about? Miko is not a replacement girl and I do not like her that way!" Jack

said blushing

"Than why are you blushing?" Kooro joked. "Well, never mind, it doesn't matter anyway. Now

enough small talk tell "Miko" there to stay out of this. This is between you and me Shadow." he said

taking out his sword.

"I couldn't agree more Mist." Jack sneered Taking out his axe. "Miko get back."

"alright if your sure jack." Miko said shakily before moving off of the battlefield.

"Well? What are you waiting for Mist?" Jack said "Make my day."

"Alright but remember, you asked for it Shadow." Kooro said.

And with that, they both charged towards each other, both knowing that only one of them would

emerge victorious in this fight and have the right to claim their prize.

The others life.

**Wow talk about a cliffhanger, sorry for not uploading any new chapters of this or my **

**others lately but I have home down with a horrible case of writer block, on all except **

**Fairyformers. Hopefully this sickness will clear up soon and I'll update them but until then **

**stay tuned.**

**Until we meet again!**

**PrimusPrime Out!**


End file.
